Exhaust washer and silencer



Dec. 12, 1933. H. H. MAXIM ET AL 1,938,849

EXHAUST WASHER AND SILENCER Filed May 13, 1932 III/1' I I INVENTOR5H/RAM HMAx/M anaszlifimn/arr Lin/E E Km PP ATTORNEYS. I,

Patented Dec. 12, 1933 J 1 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE EXHAUST WASHER ANDSILENCE]! Hiram H. Maxim, George H. Herrlott, and Leslie E. Knapp,Hartford, Conn., assignors to The Maxim Silencer Company, Hartford,Conn., a

corporation of Connecticut Application May 13, 1932. Serial No. 611,1588 Claims. (Cl. 183-21) This invention relates to devices for silencingflange 30 through which pass a circumferential the noise incident to theexhaust of internal cornseries of bolts 31. Upon these bolts are strungbustion engines and for removing from the exannular plates 32, 33, and34, an intermediate anhaust gas any solid matter carried by it, parnularplate 35 surrounding the series of bolts beticularly any such matter asmay be in incantween plates 32 and 33. Plate 34 is supported by 60descent form. v nuts 36 on the bolts 31. Plate 33 is maintained Oneobject of the present invention is to imin spaced relation above it by aseries of spacing prove prior devices in which water has been tubes 37,each slipped over one of the bolts, and is mixed with exhaust gases,particularly in respect formed at its inner circumference with a filletto improvements in the manner in which the ex- 38 (Fig. 3) supporting apacking 39 making a n5 haust gases and the water are carried togetherwater-tight joint against the exterior of the conthrough the device soas to secure a maximum duit 19. At its outer circumference this platesilencing as well as cleaning effect of the water. has a dependingflange carrying a plurality of A further object is to eliminate anydanger of helical vanes 40 which permit the gas and water water beingdrawn back into the cylinders on to pass downward with a whirlingmotion. The 70 stoppage of the motor. A further object is to plate 35 isof an external diameter such as to fit provide for a complete mixture ofthe exhaust snugly within the casing 10 and of an internal gases and thewater during their passage through diameter large enough to form anannular pasthe device, and for their complete separation as sage 41between it and the conduit 19. It issupthey pass out of it. Additionalobjects will apported upon the plate 33 by a circumferential 7'5 pearfrom the following description and claims. Series of radial lugs orvanes 42 which could be Referring to the drawingformed on either memberbut are here shown as Fig. 1 is a central sectional elevation of adecarried on plate 35. The topmost plate 32 fits vice constructed inaccordance with the invensnugly against the conduit 19 but forms anannution; lar passage 43 between it and the inner wall of Fig. 2 is asection on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; the casing 10. This plate is supported bya cir- Fig. 3 is a detail on an enlarged scale of parts cumferentialseries of radial vanes 44 carried by shown in Fig. 1; and it and restingon plate 35. The upper surface 01' Fig. 4 is aperspective view, partlybroken away, the plate 32 rests against the under side of the 30 of thecomplete device. flange 30, so that the bolts 31 hold the entire in- Thesilencer is contained within a cylindrical ternal assembly in place uponthe header 15. By casing 10 having slotted lugs 11 around its lower ov gt header the parts l n e edge to assist in securing it to any suitablebed. may all be removed at once from the casing for At its bottom thecasing is formed with a prefcleaning.

35 erably integral closure 12 having a central aper- The passage of theexhaust gases and the water ture 13 surrounded by a boss 14 to which'aWater through the silencer will now be considered. outlet pipe may besecured. The top of the cas- Coming through the port 22 the exhaustgases ing is closed by a header 15 secured by bolts 16 from the enginemeet the water delivered through and a packing 1'7 to a flange 18 on thecasing. pipe 25, the water being forced across the path of 40 At itscenter this header is formed with a conthe gases in a sort of verticalcurtain by the flatduit 19 extending into the casing, a boss 20 surtenedend 26 of the pipe. The gases thus become rounding the central passage21 thus formed to commingled with the water and till the upper permitthe attachment of a suitable pipe for conannular chamber 50 formed bythe casing 10, veying the exhaust gases away from the device. header 15,plate 32, and conduit 19. The only 5 The gases are admitted througha'port 22 in the outlet from this chamber is through the relaupper sidewall of the casing, this port being fitted tively constricted annularpassage 43 between with a boss 23 to which the pipe 24 connecting thethe plate 32 and the casing. This passage the silencer to the engine maybe attached. Water, gases and water traverse together, meetingimconveniently from the engine cooling system, is mediately the upperside of plate 35 which closely 50 admitted to the casing through a pipe25 having a abuts the casing, causing an abrupt change in verticallyflattened end 26 best seen in Figs. 1 direction with a resultingturbulence and further and 4. For cleaning purposes a hand hole,promixing of the gases and water. The fluids pass vided with the usualclosure 27, is preferably between the lugs 44, down the annular passageformed in the lower side wall of the casing. 41, out between lugs 42,and down between the 55 The conduit 19 is provided with an externalhelical vanes 40.

Emerging from between these helical vanes the now thoroughly commingledfluids enter a lower chamber 51 formed by the casing 10, the closure 12,and the plate 33. Since the gases and water are given a whirling motionby the helical vanes 40 the water and the solid particlesare swept downand to the outside of the chamber 51, gradually approaching the outlet13 as their velocity decreases. The water loses its velocity ratherrapidly, owing to the relatively large volume of the lower chamber 51,this action being assisted by vanes 52 hanging down below plate 34 andany large accumulation of water in the chamber thus prevented.

Since the gases are whirling within the lower chamber, there might beinduced at times a sort of whirlpool or water-spout action which, if notbroken up or prevented, might be the cause of water being sucked up thecentral conduit 19 and so discharged along with the exhaust gases. Thiswould of course be objectionable. In the form of the invention shownthis action is effectively broken up by the plate 34 and vanes 52.

The attenuation of the sound waves comprising the exhaust noise is verymarked in devices constructed in accordance with the invention. Theexcellent results attained in practice with this form of apparatus arelargely due to the use of relatively large chambers connected bymeans'of passageways of relatively small crosssectional areas throughwhich the gases and the water pass together in intimate relation. The

irregular and inconstant path thus presented to the sound waves oiTersboth high acoustic resistance and high acoustic impedance, causingattenuation both by friction and by change of acoustic impedance alongthe main acoustic channel. I An important feature of the invention isthe protection afforded against the possibility of flooding the enginewith water should the drain opening 13 become clogged while the engineis running. Should this happen, and not be detected at once, the waterlevel in the lower compartment would rise until it reached the bottomend of the conduit 19, when it would be blown out through the conduit bythe exhaust gases. If the engine is stopped under these conditions, thelevel of the water within the device is initially considerably below theinlet 22 and no water can flow back into the cylinders until the levelhas been still further built up. An ample period is thus allowed for thewater to be shut off manually before this happens, in case the watersupply is not automatically shut off with the engine. In any event thereduced pressure in the exhaust system due to cooling of the engineafter it is stopped will not be able (if the water is shut ofi) to causethe accumulated water to be drawn back through pipe 24, since the levelof water will not rise higher than the bottom of conduit 19 during therunning of the engine. With the accumulated water at this level thesuction-resulting from cooling would be satisfied by the drawing ofatmospheric air back through the conduit 19. I

The device is preferably made of cast-iron, a material well known forits permanence and its ability to resist the corrosive action of hotexhaust gases and water, especially sea water. In cases where extremelight weight is a requirement, as in certain marine installations, thedevice is readily fabricated from corrosion resisting alloys. Thedetails of the illustrated form of the device have been described fullyin the interest of clearness. It will be understood, however, that theinvention may be embodied in various specific forms, and that it is notrestricted to the" details here shown except as specifically pointed outin the following claims.

We claim:-

1. An exhaust silencer and washer comprising a casing divided into anupper compartment and a lower compartment, means in said uppercompartment for effecting the entrance of exhaust gas and water, meansin said lower compartment for efiecting the separate discharge of saidexhaust gas and water, said upper compartment communicating with saidlower compartment through a series of annular slots.

2. An exhaust silencer and washer in accordance with claim 1 in whichsaid annular slots are disposed in vertical space relationship one withthe other and are alternately of substantially different mean diameter.

3. An exhaust silencer and washer in accordance with claim 1 in whichsaid upper compartment communicates with said lower compartment througha tortuous passageway comprising a series of radially disposedpassageways alternating with 'a series of interposed annular slots ofalternately different mean diameter and a plurality of angularlydisposed vanes whereby said gases and water are given a whirling motionwithin said lower compartment.

4. An exhaust silencer and washer comprising a casing divided into anupper compartment and a lower compartment, means in the uppercompartment for efiecting the entrance of exhaust gas and water, meansin the lower compartment for effecting the separate discharge of saidex-- haust gas and water, said upper compartment communicating with thelower compartment through a tortuous passageway comprising a series ofradially disposed passageways alternating with a series of interposedannular slots of alternately different mean diameter and a plurality ofangularly disposed vanes whereby the gases and water are given awhirling motion within the lower compartment, a centrally disposedexhaust conduit positioned within the upper compartment and opening intothe lower compartment, and a bafile plate positioned in the lowercompartment in line with and below the entrance to the exhaust conduit,said series of passageways and slots being positioned exteriorly of andconcentrio with the lower end of said upwardly extending exhaustconduit. 5. An exhaust silencer and washer comprising a cylindricalcasing having a removable top header and a bottom header, a centrallydisposed exhaust conduit affixed to said upper header, and dependingtherefrom into the volume of said casing, a series of battles to form atortuous passageway aflixed to the lower end of and supported by saidexhaust conduit, whereby the volume of said casing is divided into anupper compartment of annular shape and a lower compartment ofcylindrical shape, openings in said upper compartment for theintroduction of exhaust gas and water, an opening in said lowercompartment for the discharge of water and means for preventing waterspray from entering said exhaust conduit.

6. An exhaust silencer and washer in accordance with claim 5 in whichwater is introduced into said upper compartment in a spray directedacross the stream of incoming exhaust gases;

7. An exhaust silencer and washer in accordance with claim 5 in whichsaid means for pre-- venting water spray from entering said exhaustconduit comprises a bame plate, supported by said exhaust conduit, andpositioned within said lower compartment in line with and below theentrance to the conduit, said baille plate having one or more verticalwebs afl'ixedthereto.

8. An exhaust silencer and washer comprising a cylindrical casing havinga removable top header and a bottom header, a centrally disposed exhaustconduit amxed to said upper header and depending therefrom into thecasing, a series of homes to form a tortuous pasageway amxed to thelower end of and supported by the exhaust conduit to divide the casinginto'an uppemcompartment oi annular shape and a lower conipartment ofcylindrical shape, said batlles including a series of annular slots ofalternately different diameter and a series of radially disposedpassagethe casing and the centrally disposed exhaust conduit, the lowestof said slots being provided with a plurality of angular-1y disposedvanes whereby the commingled exhaust gas and water is given a whirlingmotion as it enters the lower compartment, openings in the uppercompartment for the introduction of exhaust gas and a spray of water, anopening in the lower compartment for the discharge of water, and abaflle plate supported by the exhaust conduit within the lowercompartment and in line with and below the entrance to the conduit, saidbaille plate having one or more vertical webs afilxed thereto.

HIRAM H. MAXIM. GEORGE H. HERRIO'IT. LESLIE E. KNAPP.

ways extending between the cylindrical shell of

